Scottish Executive

Birds

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths of protected bird species occurred as a result of snaring within capercaillie habitats in 2001.

Allan Wilson: I have no information on this.

Children

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the first phase of the national evaluation of Sure Start Scotland indicates that it is on track to meet its commitments with regard to vulnerable children.

Cathy Jamieson: We made a Programme for Government commitment to expand support for families and very young children through family centres and mobile and outreach services, for at least 5,000 additional children by 2002. The findings of the first phase of the Sure Start Scotland evaluation confirm that we have already exceeded this target. Over 9,000 additional children received support in the first year of implementation of Sure Start Scotland (1999-2000). This increased to over 15,000 additional children in the second year (2000-01). During this period over 6,000 additional parents were supported. The figures cover a wide range of provision which vary in intensity, from one-off interventions to sustained support over a long period.

  We are today publishing the summary report of the evaluation, Mapping Sure Start Scotland, and I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 20952).

Children's Hearings

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions local authority social work departments have had to apply to Children’s Panels for a change in a secure accommodation disposal due to a shortage of secure accommodation in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Cathy Jamieson: Although hearings make recommendations that a child goes to secure accommodation, the final decision on whether secure care is the best disposal for a child lies with the Director of Social Work and the head of the secure unit.   Where the outcome is that a child is placed in a unit other than that specified, Social Work Departments ought to inform the Children’s Reporter. The reporter has discretion either to convene another hearing to re-consider the earlier Supervision Requirement or to inform a review hearing   about the change. Any action taken must be in the best interest of the child.

Drug Misuse

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the success of anti-drugs campaigns in schools by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Cathy Jamieson: Scottish Executive ministers have regular discussions with their counterparts from the other UK administrations and the Republic of Ireland through the British-Irish Council (BIC).

  While there have been no direct discussions between the Scottish and Northern Ireland Executives about anti-drugs campaigns in schools, drug misuse policy has been a priority issue for BIC and a programme of action across the member countries is currently under way on a range of fronts to take the anti-drugs agenda forward.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals' 16th Annual Report 2000-2001 , (a) how many local authorities are aware of the committee's Special Report on Education Appeal Committees and (b) what action it is taking in order to ensure that the recommendations in the special report are followed universally.

Nicol Stephen: (a) The Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals has informed the Scottish Executive that it has sent a copy of its Special Report on Education Appeal Committees to each Director of Education and Head of Legal Services in Scotland.

  (b) The Scottish Executive has committed to undertaking a review of Education Appeal Committees which will consider the recommendations of the Committee of the Council on Tribunals' Special Report on Education Appeal Committees and identify an appropriate course of action.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals' 16th Annual Report 2000-2001 , (a) what its response is to this report and (b) when the wide-ranging consideration of appeal committees by its Education Department, which the council was informed was being undertaken, will be made public.

Nicol Stephen: (a) The Scottish Executive welcomes the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals’ (SCCT’s) Special Report on Education Appeal Committees in Scotland, which it refers to in its 16th Annual Report 2000-2001. The Scottish Executive will consider the findings of the SCCT’s work in a review of education appeal committees before formalising a response to the SCCT’s recommendations.

  (b) The Scottish Executive is committed to undertaking a review of education appeal committees in light of the SCCT’s report, but the timescale for that review has yet to be identified.

Education

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to tackle homophobic bullying of students or staff in (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) tertiary educational establishments.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive condemns bullying of any sort and in any sector of education.

  All schools should develop, in consultation with all members of the school community, a clear anti-bullying policy. As a matter of good practice we would expect schools to have developed specific guidelines about how homophobia should be tackled. Current Scottish Executive initiatives aimed at tackling bullying within Scotland's schools include the Scottish Anti-Bullying Network (ABN), the Scottish Schools Ethos Network (SSEN), the recommendations contained in the Discipline Task Group report Better Behaviour - Better Learning, and the underwriting of ChildLine's dedicated bullying helpline. The ABN has developed guidelines on homophobic bullying to help schools to develop good practice in this area.

  Higher education institutions and colleges of further education are autonomous organisations and are individually responsible for matters relating to the safety of both staff and students, including the application of relevant legal provisions relating to employment, the avoidance of discrimination, and health and safety.

Education

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it recommends procedures to local authorities for monitoring homophobic bullying of pupils, students or staff in educational establishments; what any such recommended procedures are, and which local authorities have anti-bullying polices and procedures in place that cover homophobic bullying.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive does not currently recommend procedures to local authorities for the monitoring of incidents of bullying which may be considered to be homophobic in nature.

  The Scottish Executive does recommend that all education authorities and schools in Scotland have effective anti-bullying polices in place. However, information on the content of these policies is not held centrally. HM Inspectorate inspections may include an examination of the existence and content of a suitable anti-bullying policy in Scotland’s schools.

Enterprise

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding similar to that used for the management buyout of Viasystems, North Tyneside was made available for the management buyout of Signum Circuits, Selkirk and, if so, what (a) UK and (b) European sourced funding was provided in each case.

Iain Gray: No funding was provided by the Scottish Executive in support of the management buyout of Signum Circuits Ltd. However, £450,000 in Regional Selective Assistance was paid to Signum Circuits Ltd by the Scottish Executive, prior to the company's receivership.

Enterprise

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is aiding or intending to aid the redevelopment of Bo'ness.

Iain Gray: As part of the overall regeneration strategy for Bo’ness, developed with Falkirk Council, Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley is currently funding a feasibility study into the development potential of the Bo’ness foreshore to determine suitability for housing and other types of development.

  Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley may make further funding available in the light of the results of this study. Funding has already been provided for other projects in the Bo’ness area, including the new Scottish Railway Museum.

Ferry Services

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any letter of instruction from it to Caledonian MacBrayne in regard to the frequency of ferry services on the River Clyde.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has not issued any such letter.

Health

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS trusts, NHS boards and local authorities are acting effectively on the findings and recommendations of the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme report and what specific improvements in services have resulted from such action.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) review offers a benchmark of expectations for a good, quality-based, service of care and attention for these important care groups. It is for the local statutory agencies to work together with the voluntary sector to respond to the standards set out and implied in the report, and I look for early change and improvement as a result.

  The performance of NHSScotland is effectively monitored by the health department on an on-going basis, and through escalating intervention to improve identified unacceptable performance.

  The information requested on the local implementation of the recommendations of the SNAP report will be available from local Public Health Departments, but is not held centrally.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to conduct research into the proportion of income used in households to make good "critical disrepair", as defined in Issues in Improving Quality in Private Housing: The first report of the Housing Improvement Task Force .

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is currently carrying out the field work for the 2002 Scottish House Condition Survey. This survey will provide a comprehensive picture of the extent of disrepair in Scottish housing and an estimate of the cost of necessary repair and improvements. The survey will also provide data on the incomes of households including those whose homes are in need of repair and how much they spent on repair and maintenance in the previous year. The results from this survey are expected to be available from the middle of 2003.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to conduct research into the prevalence of low income or disadvantaged groups living in poor condition properties and to provide a breakdown of this data by housing sector.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive has recently completed a review of existing data and research on owner-occupied households who have relatively low incomes including the implications for housing quality. This is available on the Housing Improvement Task Force website. In addition, the 2002 Scottish House Condition Survey will provide data on the condition of Scottish housing and the incomes and characteristics of the households within it including those whose homes are in need of repair and improvement.

Justice

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what extradition applications from Spanish authorities are currently under consideration and what the names of the persons involved are.

Mr Jim Wallace: It is not Scottish Executive policy to give information about whether or not extradition requests have been received in relation to individuals.

  This is to ensure that any on-going investigations by the relevant authorities are not jeopardised in any way and to avoid alerting the subject of a request who might seek to flee the country before he or she can be arrested.

Justice

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to ensure that the special needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are taken into consideration as part of the consultation process on Vital Voices - Helping Vulnerable Witnesses Give Evidence .

Mr Jim Wallace: The Justice Department officials involved in the consultation are in contact with organisations representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in order to arrange a meeting to discuss their particular issues and concerns. We are also keen to have written responses from all interested parties, and particularly welcome views from individuals who have been involved in cases as witnesses.

Justice

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in seizing the assets of major drug dealers.

Mr Jim Wallace: In 2001-02, 36 confiscation orders totalling almost £800,000, were made by the courts, mainly against persons convicted of drug offences, a marked increase over previous years. The Proceeds of Crime Bill, currently before the Westminster Parliament, will provide wide-ranging new powers to investigate, recover and confiscate the proceeds of crime. The Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency has also recently established a money laundering unit, with partners from other enforcement agencies including the National Criminal Intelligence Service, actively to target criminals and criminal organisations who engage in drug trafficking and other serious crime in Scotland, identify the assets gained illegally and, where appropriate, make these available to the courts for confiscation or civil forfeiture.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the job prospects of those with mental health problems.

Iain Gray: Employment, including the employment of people with mental health problems, is a reserved issue. The responsibility for assisting disabled unemployed people into work rests with Jobcentre Plus.

  The New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP) is a Department for Work and Pensions-led voluntary programme to help people with disabilities or long-term illness move into, or remain in, work. NDDP has been extended nationally to all people claiming Incapacity Benefits and offers a work-focused interview which seeks to place people into work or direct them to the new national network of Job Broker services.

NHS Funding

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include provision within its NHS capital expenditure allocations for 2002-03 to fund developments in the Banff area.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is entirely a matter for NHS Grampian to fund any capital developments in the Banff area from within available resources.

National Cultural Strategy

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken on its National Cultural Strategy commitment to work with Glasgow City Council to examine the circumstances of museums and galleries in the city.

Mike Watson: The National Cultural Strategy recognised the particular position of Glasgow and committed the Executive to work with Glasgow City Council to examine the circumstances of the museums and galleries in the city. Ministers have had a series of meetings with Glasgow City Council to hear their plans for development of the city’s museums and galleries and I am pleased to say that the Executive has now awarded one-off funding of £1 million to the Kelvingrove Refurbishment Appeal Trust and £2 million towards Glasgow’s Museums and Galleries Service towards realising its full educational and tourism potential.

National Insurance Contributions

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial impact the 1% increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions announced in the UK Budget 2002 will have on each NHS board and trust and what additional financial resources will be allocated to each board and trust specifically to compensate for the increase.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial impact the 1% increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions announced in the UK Budget 2002 will have on non-departmental public bodies.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25291 on 14 May 2002.

Nursery Nurses

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average salary is for a nursery nurse on entering the profession.

Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is not held centrally. COSLA's advisory Scheme of Salaries and Conditions of Service for Nursery Staffs recommends a salary range of £10,679 to £13,664 for a nursery nurse class 1 (qualified) employed by a local authority. This salary range applies on entering the profession.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the oil and gas industry regarding the economic and other effects of the new 10% supplementary charge to the existing corporation tax on oil and gas company profits announced in the UK Budget 2002 and whether it will detail any follow-up action it plans to take.

Lewis Macdonald: We are in regular contact with the oil and gas industry on a wide range of matters affecting the industry. The main avenue for this contact is through PILOT, of which I am the Vice Chair.

  The Scottish Executive has no function in relation to UK fiscal policy.

Planning

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-23664 and S1W-23665 by Ms Margaret Curran on 18 March 2002, what information is required on planning application forms relating to the address and location of the site of the planning proposal.

Ms Margaret Curran: The statutory requirement in this regard is set out in The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Scotland) Order 1992, which requires that "the application shall be accompanied by a plan sufficient to identify the land to which it relates…". In addition, Planning Advice Note (PAN) 48: Planning Application Forms provides advice on best practice on the content and layout of local authority application forms. The guidance notes on model forms contained in PAN 48 suggest that information about the address or location of the proposed development should include the postcode where possible.

  Copies of PAN 48 can be ordered on: Tel. 0131 244 7066 or viewed on the advice section of the Executive’s Planning internet site at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/planning.

Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what its proposed implementation date is for amendments to the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 (SSI 2000/323).

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive proposes to amend the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 after the summer recess.

Prison Service

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what new programmes have been introduced, or are planned to be introduced in the next 12 months, by the Scottish Prison Service to fulfil its commitment in preventing violence against women – action across the Scottish Executive to "extend further its core programmes and develop a range of approved activities to address offending behaviour and to reduce the risk of violence including violence against women".

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS is currently reviewing the range of interventions available elsewhere to specifically address violence against women, and hopes that it may be possible to introduce such a programme in 2003. This would be supported by a wider range of interventions to address sexual offending and instrumental violence. In addition, a number of approved activities are currently under development to help tackle addictions. The aim of this combination of programmes and approved activities would be to reduce the risk of violence generally, including violence against women.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many places are currently available for prisoners wishing to achieve qualifications to level SVQ 3 and how many achieved that level in each of the last three years at (a) HM Prison Kilmarnock and (b) each Scottish Prison Service prison.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is not held centrally and is not available for previous years.

  SVQ level 3 is currently offered at present by HM Prison Peterhead (six places on Carpentry and Joinery) and from HM Prison Castle Huntly (one place on Professional Cookery).

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24127 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 April 2002, what the reasons were in each case for revoking certificates to perform custodial duties in accordance with paragraph 4 of Schedule 6 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24126 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 April 2002, what the reasons were in each case for suspending certificates to perform custodial duties in accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 6 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  It would be inappropriate to provide this information which could be linked with the individuals concerned.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital costs to the Scottish Prison Service have been of each prison industries project in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is not available. The most recent major industries capital project was the building and equipping of the new timber workshop at Friarton (part of Perth Prison). The total capital cost was approximately £2 million.

Public Transport

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action would be required to extend the area covered by the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority to (a) the central belt and (b) the whole of Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: Any variations to the area covered by Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority would require an order by statutory instrument under section 40 the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994. This would contain a list of the local government areas, or parts of such areas, to be covered by the new authority.

Rail Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the affordability of fares will be a key determinant in the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise.

Lewis Macdonald: Bids for the next Scottish rail passenger franchise will be evaluated according to a variety of determinants, in order to decide which represents the best value for money.

Rail Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that ScotRail meets the requirement in its franchise to maintain an additional ticket office at Edinburgh Waverley station.

Lewis Macdonald: The additional ticket office at Waverley Station is operated by ScotRail on a commercial basis. This is outwith the terms and conditions of the company’s current franchise agreement.

Renewable Energy

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether research shows that Scotland’s wind energy potential can be developed without affecting environmentally designated areas.

Ross Finnie: Scotland’s Renewable Resource 2001 , the study carried out for us last year by Garrad Hassan, identified a potential onshore wind resource of 11.5 gigawatts of capacity which could be developed at a relatively competitive cost, and all of which is available outwith existing environmentally designated areas. This is many times more than we need to meet our current targets for renewable generation.

Road Accidents

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the annual accident figures for roads where route accident reduction plans have been implemented within the past three years.

Lewis Macdonald: At least three year’s accident figures are required in order to see how well a route accident reduction plan (RARP) is performing. An analysis of the accident figures for pre-1999 RARPs has been prepared to illustrate the reduction, or otherwise, of injury accidents along these lengths of road. The figures may be distorted by traffic growth, development in the vicinity, treatment of accident cluster sites and the carrying out of improvement schemes or major maintenance, but they do suggest that some RARPs have worked and some have not. They are attempting to deal with the most difficult type of accident to treat – the random occurrence of crashes along a length of road. The effectiveness of various types of treatment in different locations is being monitored, and should result in more effective investment in such schemes in the future.

  Trunk Road Route Accident Reduction Plans (1996-98)

  


Route 
  

Scheme Name 
  

Completion
Date 
  

Estimated
Cost 
  

Before
ACCS 
  

After
ACCS 
  



A87 
  

Invergarry to Kyle of Lochalsh 
  

31/10/1997 
  

£268,330 
  

61 
  

41 
  



A9 
  

Dornoch to Scrabster 
  

31/07/1997 
  

£320,000 
  

104 
  

57 
  



A84 
  

Stirling to Crianlarich 
  

30/05/1997 
  

£150,000 
  

83 
  

100 
  



A83 
  

Tarbet to Kennacraig 
  

01/03/1998 
  

£575,000 
  

98 
  

124 
  



A85 
  

Lochearnhead to Crianlarich 
  

17/12/1997 
  

£155,000 
  

32 
  

34 
  



A887 
  

Invermoriston to Bun Loyne 
  

28/02/1998 
  

£61,226 
  

6 
  

6 
  



A737 
  

Beith to Dalry 
  

31/10/1997 
  

£65,000 
  

34 
  

26 
  



A737 
  

Howwood to Renfrewshire 
  

15/03/1999 
  

£24,500 
  

29 
  

20 
  



A75 
  

Gretna to Stranraer 
  

28/02/1998 
  

£597,000 
  

192 
  

209 
  



A95 
  

Keith to Granish* 
  

30/01/2000 
  

£100,000 
  

86 
  

64 
  



A87 
  

Kyle of Lochalsh to Uig* 
  

30/04/1999 
  

£160,000 
  

60 
  

69 
  



A9 
  

Georgemas Jct. to Thurso* 
  

31/12/1999 
  

£5,000 
  

13 
  

12 
  



A78 
  

Skelmorlie to Ardrossan 
  

01/10/1998 
  

£63,000 
  

112 
  

103 
  



Total 
  

£2,544,056 
  

910 
  

865 
  



  Note:

  *Factored to 36 months.

Scottish Executive Staff

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what age its staff must take compulsory retirement, detailing any provisions available which would allow staff to be retained after that point.

Mr Andy Kerr: The expected retirement age for all Scottish Executive staff below the Senior Civil Service is 60 years. Beyond this, staff can be retained on a year-by-year basis if they meet certain criteria. This policy is currently under review.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into links between pornography and sexual violence.

Mr Jim Wallace: No specific research has been undertaken on this topic but the broader issue of sex offenders is an important part of our current research programme. We have also commissioned further research on the treatment of violent and sexual offenders.

Special Educational Needs

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many enquiries have been received by Enquire in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03 to date.

Cathy Jamieson: Enquire received (a) 360 enquiries from November 1999 to March 2000, (b) 840 enquiries in 2000-01, (c) 1,018 enquiries in 2001-02 and (d) 87 enquiries in April 2002.

Special Educational Needs

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding Enquire has received in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03 to date.

Cathy Jamieson: Enquire received (a) £213,937 in 1999-2000, (b) £207,239 in 2000-01 and (c) £220,541 in 2001-02. Enquire has not yet received any funding for 2002-03.

Special Educational Needs

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis the application by Independent Special Education Advice (ISEA) for funding under the Special Educational Needs Innovation Grants Programme was refused, given that ISEA has a current caseload of 1,056 live cases and represents parents with children with special educational needs throughout Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: There was strong competition for Special Educational Needs Innovation grant funding. The ISEA's application was considered alongside all others received and evaluated by a team of assessors, the majority of which were drawn from outside the Executive. ISEA's application was not considered to adequately meet all of the criteria.

Student Finance

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what access blind postgraduate students not funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council have to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland disabled students allowance scheme.

Iain Gray: Blind postgraduate students whose courses come under the remit of any of the research councils, but who for whatever reason are not being funded by them, are not eligible for any allowances paid by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.

Student Finance

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it or its agencies make available to blind postgraduate students in order to provide them with electronic equipment and personal readers to allow them to access printed material in the course of their research.

Iain Gray: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland provides eligible postgraduate students with assistance under the Postgraduate Students’ Allowances Scheme (PSAS). Disabled students being funded under PSAS who incur higher course costs because of their disabilities can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance. This can cover equipment and personal readers for blind students.

Transport

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an itemised breakdown of the total transport subsidy to Shetland in each of the past five years.

Lewis Macdonald: Shetland has received the following amounts in direct support for transport related purposes from the Scottish Executive over the last five years

  


Rural Transport Fund (£) 
  



1997-98 
  

Nil 
  



1998-99 
  

143,000 
  



1999-2000 
  

164,000 
  



2000-01 
  

141,000 
  



2001-02 
  

169,000 
  



Piers and Harbour Grants (£) 
  



1997-98 
  

 Nil 
  



1998-99 
  

 Nil 
  



1999-2000 
  

 Nil 
  



2000-01 
  

193,000 
  



2001-02 
  

239,000 
  



  Tariff Rebate Subsidy (TRS) Livestock Transfer Payments (these figures are for complete contracts that benefit both Shetland and Orkney). The information necessary to break them down is not held centrally.

  


1997-98 
  

£541,760.26 
  



1998-99 
  

£439,269.94 
  



1999-2000 
  

£695,627 
  



2000-01 
  

£516,463 
  



2001-02 
  

£674,244 
  



  TRS Bulk Freight Payments (these figures are for complete contracts that benefit both Shetland and Orkney). The information necessary to break them down is not held centrally.

  


1997-98 
  

£182,997.13 
  



1998-99 
  

£162,169.98 
  



1999-2000 
  

£173,911 
  



2000-01 
  

£183,000 
  



2001-02 
  

£191,320 
  



  Details of support for air transport on Shetland is given in the Annual Reports for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. The Bib. numbers are as follows

  


1997-98 
  

20023 
  



1998-99 
  

3976 
  



1999-2000 
  

7211 
  



2000-01 
  

15017 
  



  Figures for 2001-02 have not yet been published.

Vehicle Licensing

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities will be encouraged to ensure that owners of private hire cars display plates on the exterior of their vehicles which easily identify them as such and whether the display of such plates would be beneficial to public safety and the easy identification of such vehicles, detailing the reasons behind its position on this matter.

Peter Peacock: Within the licensing framework of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, it is for individual local authorities to determine what plates should be issued for taxi and private hire car vehicles and how these should be displayed. While it is clearly in the public interest for such vehicles to be readily identifiable we believe that, because licensing requirements vary considerably between areas, local authorities are best placed to determine the precise arrangements for their area.